Honda F720 Professional Tiller

This is the grandest in Honda's range of cultivation machinery and there is no doubting that it is a commercial machine.

Honda is keen to demonstrate the benefits and versatility of the F720 tiller. And nothing will stop the company from doing so — not even the lack of a demonstration machine on the day we require it. At short notice, Honda and Hampshire dealer Robin Nettles of Winchester Garden Machinery come up with a solution.The F720 tiller arrives on the back of a small garden trailer and is quickly and easily unloaded.A beefy 6.5hp overhead valve engine powers the unit, providing a smooth and quiet workhorse. And with the Honda engine, we know we are getting reliability. But what we really like about the F720 is its versatility.The various attachments for the F720 include a plough and heavy-duty “slasher” rotors for breaking the roughest of ground, a rear rotary cultivator, fine tine cultivator, ridger and potato lifter. To power through big jobs quickly, there are extension rotors to increase the working width from the normal 66cm to 94cm. The F720 also comes with transport wheels as standard.With “Hi” and “Lo” ratios, the four gears equate to eight — six forward and two reverse speeds. This makes it easy to match the speed of the machine to the site conditions and the task. Gear change is on a simple-to-use lever.“It’s a very good tool,” comments our tester.After a few brief instructions, our tester uses the machine to plough and cultivate. The plough attachment is reversible, so there is no need to manoeuvre the machine backwards to the start of the next run. When the tester reaches the end of the plot, he simply turns the machine and then pulls a lever to alter the throw of the soil.“That’s a really good feature,” he says. “It will save a lot of time because you don’t have to keep walking the machine backwards. And I can’t believe how manoeuvrable this machine is, especially in tight spaces.”It takes a few minutes to change the rear implement, but this is a very powerful tool and all the equipment is extremely sturdy and well constructed.You get the feeling that it won’t let you down.As we expect, the handlebars are adjustable for comfort. But they can also be offset by 35? to allow work right up to a fence or hedge. “It is a very comfortable work position and no effort is needed — you let the machine do the work,” confirms the tester. “You know when the tines have gone in as deep as they can because the nose is up. Then you just nudge the machine a bit and it keeps going.”With its generous working width, the Honda quickly converts the plot into a seedbed. And the finish is first class.It is clear that with the strength of construction, the versatility afforded by the attachments and the remarkable manoeuvrability and performance, this unit will be useful for landscapers, whether working in gardens or parks. It is also likely to be useful on the nursery and in polytunnels or glasshouses.For the price, this machine clearly represents good value for money.

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